The Round Table

Why Hiring a Water Damage Restoration Company Is Essential

Clogged sewer lines, busted water pipes, leaking roofs, overflowing toilets and tubs along with floodwaters can quickly damage a home or office. In fact, damage caused by water is more than a major inconvenience. It can cause serious health hazards for every occupant. Because of that, it is important to consider hiring a professional water damage restoration company to handle the cleanup.

It is essential that a water damage restoration contractor arrives at the home or office as quickly as possible after water has invaded the structure. This is because harmful contaminants including viruses, pathogens, mildew, bacteria, fungus and mold can begin to take hold within just a few hours after the flood.

Cleaning up the damage is more than just removing the water and opening the windows. Without proper equipment and specialized training, the home or office could be subjected to secondary water damage, high levels of humidity and the growth of contaminants. Fortunately, experienced flood damage contractors have years of training and use industrial equipment to tackle the issue.

Assessing the Problem

The trained technicians will take the initial step of assessing the entire problem, including locating the source of water. Once located, the source will be stopped to ensure no additional water or sewage enters the home or office. Next, the certified technicians will develop an effective plan to extract the water, deodorize and sanitize the area, dry it completely, and install any new building materials that were removed as part of the process.

Water Extraction

The certified technicians will use the latest advancements in water extraction technology including submersible sump pumps. In addition, the team will use hydrometers, infrared cameras and other equipment to check for sources of water and humidity in the areas of the structure that cannot be visibly seen. This provides them the opportunity to remove drywall and flooring materials to gain access to standing water. The process is the only way to avoid any secondary damage.

Deodorizing and Sanitizing

After all the water has been extracted from the area, the certified team will begin the deodorizing and sanitizing processes. They use industry-accepted deodorizing chemicals to eliminate odors from the area. All building materials, furnishings, carpeting and draperies will be sanitized to eliminate the potential of contaminant growth after the water damage restoration is complete.

The Drying Process

Using high speed intense air blowers and fans, the certified technicians will move huge volumes of air across building materials, flooring, carpeting, drapes, walls and ceilings. This will ensure all the remaining moisture has been blown to the exterior of the home or office. The trained technicians will use moisture-detecting equipment to determine when the level of moisture in the materials rates 15 percent or less.

The Reconstruction Process

Part of water damage restoration involves reconstructing the area, where building materials needed to be removed from the premises. Newly installed building material can include sheet rock (drywall), carpeting, flooring materials, framing, baseboards, doors and doorframes, and window frames. Once completed, the area is repainted were necessary, and the home or office is ready for re-occupancy.

Handling Insurance

A major benefit of hiring a professional water damage restoration company is their ability to handle all the insurance documentation. In fact, they can work directly with the claims adjuster and show proof of damage. This will ensure that the property owner receives financial compensation for the damage the home or office has experienced.

Calling Right Away

The instant that the property owner realizes that there is a major or minor issue with flooding in the structure, it is imperative to call a certified water damage restoration company right away. Usually, technicians are available 24 hours a day to stop the water damage and begin the process of cleanup and restoration.

An experienced contractor can quickly develop an effective strategy on how to best deal with the water damage. This includes water extraction, sanitizing, deodorizing, drying out the area, and rebuilding and to its pre-flooded condition.

Water damage cleanup is not a do-it-yourself project for the property owner. It requires highly advanced training and proven methods to extract the water to ensure the contaminant levels in the structure caused by floodwaters are eliminated.

5 Carpet Cleaning Tips To Make Your Carpets Last Longer

The majority of people try to keep their homes looking nice. Keep the windows and worktops clean, dust around the house, clean the bathroom, and redecorate every few years. However, one thing in the house which takes an absolute beating day after day is the flooring, especially carpet. Hardwood floors if they become damaged can be sanded down and re-varnished. Tiled floors can last a long time, and seldom needs anything doing to them unless they crack, but carpet is another story. It has been walked on, has things dropped on it, pets sleep on it, and this is why carpet cleaning seems to be a never ending process.

Depending on where you live, and who or what lives in the house, will depend on how often in needs cleaning. For people who have pets, it can needs to be done every day. Homes on a farm can have a constant supply of mud and dust, and may need cleaning more than once a day. Each clean actually damages and wears out the carpet that little bit more.

There is a big difference between carpet and smooth floors when it comes to dust. With smooth floors, dust can build up on the surface, and when someone walks past that dust can become airborne again. This means that it can cause problems with people that suffer from allergies and asthma, as it can kick off attacks. For people who suffer from ailments such as these, they should use carpets. From a health point of view when it comes to dust, carpets capture the particles and then prevents them from getting airborne again. Vacuum cleaners should have HEPA filters in order to keep the air clean as it exits the cleaner.

There are a number of carpet cleaning tips you can use to keep everything clean, and help them last longer, and these are listed below.

Pets

Pets are the worst things for making a mess on a carpet. The most obvious thing is hairs, and depending on the breed of cat or dog, will decide how much of it they leave lying around the floor. Some breeds molt quickly, and hair can build up in clumps pretty quickly. Other problems with pets is that they can walk in a lot of dirt. If you want to keep your carpets clean, then wipe their feet when they come in, especially if it is wet and muddy outside.

Shoes

Humans can be just as bad as pets when it comes to walking in dirt. If you really want to look after the carpet, then take your shoes off when you enter the house, and put on slippers. You should not walk around in just socks, as these leave behind tiny fibers.

Steam Cleaning

It is easy to hire a steam cleaner these days, and they are also very affordable if you wish to buy one. However, professionals will tell you to avoid using them on carpets at all costs. This is because the heat produced actually damages the carpet fibers, and you will find that it degrades much quicker using this carpet cleaning method.

Vacuum Cleaner

This is by far the best method for cleaning carpets, and the more powerful the cleaner, the better it is. A multi-filter unit is best, as it puts less dust back into the atmosphere. You also need one with a good selection of nozzles. Cylinder models tend to be more efficient, but they are usually more expensive.

Carpet Shampooing

Rather than steam cleaning, a good carpet shampooer can do a great job at cleaning, and done properly it can really get most of the grime out of the carpet. You can buy them at reasonable prices now, so it is not worth hiring one. What is important is the type of shampoo that is used. Do not buy the cheap stuff as that is rubbish, purchase online the same shampoo that business uses.

By looking after your carpet on a regular basis, it can make it last a few more years, and as they can be very expensive these days, that is a bonus. Carpet cleaning is easy as long as you keep on top of it.

Step-by-Step Permanent Urine Odor Removal

Whether it be a cat, dog or potbellied pig, sometimes pets have an accident in your home. It is normally found on your floor, but sometimes a couch will get sprayed or even your bed may be hit. Some may think that just dabbing it up with a paper towel is enough, but if the smell of that urine stays, your pet will think that’s the new location of their permanent bathroom. Urine odor removal is the only way to ensure your pet doesn’t go there time and time again. The tips below will help you get the smell out once and for all.

Of course, step one is to absorb as much as you can. The best bet is to use an old rag or towel intended for the purpose as you can step on it with all of your weight without tearing it, unlike a paper towel. You can then throw it in the washing machine, saving you money and helping the environment. Of course, if you don’t have your own washing machine, the last thing you want to do is wait until laundry day, so make use of paper towels instead. If you are currently training your dog to go outside, take the towel or paper towels outside so the smell is located where you want them to go to the bathroom.

If you have a commercial urine odor removal spray, apply it to the area and follow the instructions. If you don’t have a commercial spot remover, spray water on the area or pour water on the spot. Use another towel to soak up the water and repeat a few more times. You can also use a spot removal vacuum or wet-dry vacuum to suck up the dirty water.

While some people may tell you to spray the spot with vinegar, only do so if the urine odor removal hasn’t worked up to this point and you still smell it. Vinegar will set the stain into carpet, the last thing you want. It will neutralize the smell, but it won’t actually remove it from soft materials, so be sure to only use vinegar if the smell is overwhelming. If it is, you probably need to replace whatever is being urinated on.

The last step is to dump some baking soda on the spot and add some water to it. Once it is paste-like, scrub it into the spot. Leave it overnight and then use your vacuum to suck as much up as possible. Continue to scrub the spot then follow with the vacuum and soon you will see that it is all removed, taking the smell and urine with it. If you wish, you can rinse the spot and remove the water with a towel or wet-dry vacuum again, but it shouldn’t be necessary at this point.

If you have a more delicate textile to clean, such as an oriental rug, use your stain remover but boost it’s efficacy with a little bit of borax soap. Spray the stain remover on to a rag and dab it on the spot. Next, apply a light dusting of borax onto the spot and cover it with paper towels. Weigh it down with something heavy and flat, such as a pot full of water, and leave it overnight. The next day you can remove the pot and paper towels, vacuuming up the borax. There is no need to rinse as the spot should be clean as a whistle.

The most important part of cleaning up a pet’s accident is urine odor removal. The sooner you get the smell out of your home, the less likely it is for your pet to make the same mistake again. As long as you are diligent in cleaning up after your pet, you should find that they will be more likely to use the outdoor facilities instead of going inside. If you are training your pet, this is an absolute must as one spot in the house can be enough to derail your hard work. With the instructions here, you should have no problem cleaning up life’s little messes and ensuring your pet is well trained in the future.